With the upcoming Rugby World Cup to be held in France next month, rugby greats Israel (Izzy) Dagg and Stephen (Beaver) Donald reunite on Bravo New Zealand for a jam-packed trip of a lifetime to experience all the country has to offer!
Izzy and Beaver take Kiwi audiences on a journey to a land where many of New Zealand’s rugby greats gravitate. From Toulouse and Nice to locations in between, together they hit the road to visit some of the country’s sights.
With a shared love of adventure, fun and meeting new people, they embark on a journey of wine tasting, cheese making and a bit of mischief. From 1000-year-old churches and castles to 2000-year-old Roman arenas and temples in Nimes; to idyllic vineyards, olive groves in Gordes and spectacular national parks in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie; and quaint countryside villages to the beaches and glamour of the casinos of the French Riviera, they fall in love with everything France has to offer.
Chance encounters with fellow rugby greats, other sporting peers, musicians, and actors, as well as the locals they meet along the way, give them a true taste of what it’s like to live like the French.
In episode one, Izzy and Beaver arrive in Paris where they begin their epic French journey. Starting with an overnight train to the famed southern city of Toulouse, the boys find themselves riding a giant mechanical bull, discovering 1000-year-old churches, eating their body weight in cheese and breaking a billion-dollar robot.
Izzy and Beaver’s French Connection is created and produced by Stripe Studios, New Zealand’s leading independent television production company and producer of Bravo’s Snow Crew and The Circus.
BIOS
Israel ‘Izzy’ Dagg – Israel is one of New Zealand’s most loved All Blacks, having held the Rugby World Cup aloft at Eden Park in 2011. A knee injury saw him retire from rugby early and since then he has gone on to become an in-demand broadcaster with Sky Sports and has his own breakfast radio show. He recently starred in Bravo’s Clubhouse Rescue, lending a hand in bringing grassroots sports clubs back to life. In Izzy and Beaver’s French Connection, his love of food, wine and culture is top of mind throughout the series, mixed in with a bit of mischief.
Stephen ‘Beaver’ Donald – Stephen is the Kiwi dream personified. His famous last-minute call up to the All Blacks in the middle of the final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup saw him step up and transform the match with a winning kick that turned him into an overnight super star. A feature film documenting that incredible event followed, as well as a stint on The Masked Singer and Bravo’s Clubhouse Rescue, alongside Israel. In Izzy and Beaver’s French Connection, Stephen indulges his love of history and takes the lead on planning every detail of the trip.
Izzy and Beaver’s French Connection premieres on Bravo (channel 4 or SKY channel 12) on Friday, 8th September at 7:30 pm NZST, continuing weekly on Fridays.